Systeatic Review

Are you embarking on a systematic review project?

Librarians at the Priddy Library are expert searchers and offer a systematic review service to faculty, students and research staff. We are available to guide and collaborate with researchers on the following tasks:

  • Choose the best review methodology to fit your timeline, question scope and discipline
  • Suggest relevant databases for searching the scholarly and grey literature
  • Design complex search strategies for specific databases
  • Use citation management software for organizing references (e.g. Zotero)
  • Use article screening and selection tools (e.g. Rayyan)

Levels of systematic review service

  • Tier 1: General consulting - we offer assistance to researchers interested in how to do a regular literature review. In a one hour in-person consultation, we will provide a basic overview of the systematic review process such as developing a protocol, designing a search strategy, selecting relevant databases, collecting and organizing studies, screening the results and writing the manuscript.
  • Tier 2: Credit given as acknowledgement - at this level, we offer assistance in generating key terms, creating search strings for specific databases, and/or reviewing search strings created by the researcher. The researcher should acknowledge the librarian in the final publication.
  • Tier 3: Credit given as co-authorship - at this level, we develop the search strategy, execute the searching in various databases, manage the studies and prepare them for screening by the researcher and write any portion of the search methodology. The researcher should agree to include the librarian as a middle author. 
     

Resources 

Systematic review workshops

In addition to one-on-one consultations, we also offer systematic review workshops tailored to specific aspects of the review process. Request one by filling out this form. Descriptions of the systematic review workshops:

Introduction to Systematic Reviews

Explore the basics of conducting a systematic review, including tips, tools and ways librarians can collaborate with you.

Search Strategies for Systematic Reviews

Craft a comprehensive, yet precise string of search terms and syntax to get the information you need from databases.

Systematic Review Tools

Get acquainted with the tools available to support the various steps of a systematic review.

 

Self-learning resources

  • Systematic Review Guide outlines the steps to conducting a systematic review and provides resources to complete each stage of the process.